Skins Cards Game

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for scoring and method of playing a card game which emulates the golf game called Skins. Skins use a standard deck of 52 playing cards, Aces through Kings. Cards are valued at face value with the Queen valued at ten points, the Fives equals minus five points, Kings and Jacks are zero points and pairs equal zero. Where a player is dealt four cards, two of which will not be known to the player until they are played. Each hand provides the player a choice of cards to be drawn, from discard pile or stock pile with each turn. The player then discards a card from either a known or blind card in hand and then turns face up a card in hand to represent their score. Attempting to turn face up the lowest possible collection of cards from the players hand. Each turn taken ends with another card turned face up until all cards in hand have been turned face up. When all cards are face up in hand the cards are summed by the point values represented. The apparatus for scoring is used to track hands that have been won for each player, hole being played and pushes. Pushes are ties between the lowest totals in which no player wins the skin. The Skin is then carried to the next hand to be won by the player with the lowest hand along with the skin for the current hand. This method of play induces strategy, skill and awareness in playing and discarding each card, trying to keep the opposition from having the lowest hand. It provides an all out strategy of risk reward play to have the lowest hand which lends to the excitement in this dynamic card game.

This applications claims the benefit of provisional patent applicationSer. No. 61/196,395 filed Oct. 17, 2008 by present inventor.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

This invention relates to a card game simulating the game of skinsplayed in golf.

2. Prior Art

A card game simulating the game of Golf called “Golf” plays with fourcards tallied at the end of each hand. Each hand the players attempt toproduce the lowest score. The sum of scores for nine or eighteen holesis tallied at the end of the game. The player with the lowestaccumulated score wins the game. The game is played by looking at two ofthe four cards you are dealt, then putting them back in your card layoutface down, set to memory. Players take turns drawing from a discard orstock pile to lower their scores by swapping out cards until someoneknocks indicating one more turn for each player. Memory is key to theswapping of cards, which may make it more difficult for aging adults orthose with memory issues. This puts some players at a disadvantage rightfrom the start. A feature of the game is one winner at the end of thegame, like golf on a golf course, a very bad hole or two can take youout of the game from the start, leading to less than enthusiastic playfrom there forward in the game. An exceptional hand by one player canalso give the other players a great disadvantage towards the win, againlessening interest. A strategy of always staying low without risking abetter hand is a safe strategy leading to conservative game play. Allcards face down relegated to memory keeps all play hidden from otherplayers, which lessens the risk reward excitement of the game, since theother players never really know what they are playing against. There areother iterations of the “Golf” card game some which use a similar methodof play to “SKINS” but which have a tallied total at the end of thegame. Again resulting in one winner at the end of the game and the abovementioned negative aspects leads to less than enthusiastic play.

There have been other games invented to simulate a game of golf where aspecially designed deck is used to designate shots taken or used witheach shot to determine a golf score, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,568,681, D287,147,1,597,457 and 4,546,982 are all examples of these. The problem is, thata specialized deck is required to play. Play tends to be slow andtedious.

3. Objects and Advantages

Accordingly, the card game of “Skins”, has many objects and advantagesover previous Golf simulation card games, such as, playing at a quickerpace, easier to score, uses a standard 52 deck of cards (Aces throughKings) and greater excitement in a risk-reward format of cards. In thegame of golf a side game that is played called “Skins” gives a point perhole or “Skin” to the player that outright has the lowest score on aparticular hole. If two or more players tie for the lowest score on anyone hole, no player wins the Skin for that hole and the Skin is pushedor added to the next hole. The next hole then is played for two Skinsand all players involved in the competition are able to win both Skinsregardless of their being involved in the tie during the previous hole.The Skins game inside of golf keeps all players always going for the winand the risk reward feature of the game keeps the play exciting.“Skins”—golf card game develops the same excitement with each handplayed. The strategy is to risk all to win each Skin, rather than juststaying low, because each hand played is awarded a win or “Skin”. Aplayer can have the worst possible hand and it only affects that playerfor one Skin and if that Skin pushes, the player is still playing forthe Skin on the next hand. “Skins” play effectively takes away a onegreat hand or one worst hand from taking you out of the game. Skinskeeps every player involved in each hand and the winner of the Skinusually is only determined when the last player turns up their lastcard. As each player continues play, turning up one more card in theirhand the other players can determine statistically their chance to picka certain card and they adjust play to get the best chance to win theSkin. The game evolves over the play of the hand with each card turnedup.

The strategies play for percentages, discarding to keep other playersfrom improving their hand over yours and when to turn up particular lowpoint cards in your own hand. Skill, strategy and awareness all add tothe excitement of “Skins”. Each hand plays quickly giving the time tosocialize between deals without the necessity to add points and tallyscores at the end of each hand. One point a hand is given unless pushesare added to the tally making scoring simple and quick, especially whenusing a “Skins-Board”.

SUMMARY

“Skins” the golf card game is played like the real golf version ofskins. No mulligans and no gimmies, each card turned up is akin to astroke in golf. If you turn up a high card, it's like a bad stroke intothe woods or hazard. If you get a five, it's like a great shot puttingyou close to the pin. A jack, king or pair is like par play. Once a cardis turned up in your hand, you are stuck with it, like a stroke in golf.Players are always looking for the lowest hand each hole, since secondplace wins nothing. A “Skins Board” used in “Skins” is for trackingskins won by each player, what hole is being played and number of“pushes” being played for. A piece of paper can be used as well as anyitem or board used to track number of holes played, holes won andpushes. The current form for tracking “Skins” play is a board, sized touse regular golf tees as pegs, containing peg holes for tracking holesplayed, skins won, starting point and number of pushes. Any size orshaped board or item could be used in variations for scoring andtracking skins won, holes played or pushes in “Skins” golf card game.

DRAWINGS: Description of Figures

FIG. 1 Players are dealt one card at a time through the rotation of allplayers in sequence until all players have four cards face down.

FIG. 2 Players look at two cards in their hand and the other two remainface down on table (blind cards).

FIG. 3 During each turn, the player first selects one card from the topof the deck or top of the discard pile. If a card is taken from thediscard pile it cannot be returned to the discard pile on that turn.

FIG. 4 The player discards one card to the discard pile and turns onecard up. Once a card has been turned up, it cannot be changed ordiscarded during the rest of the turns.

FIG. 5 The end of second turn results in two cards turned up and twocards in hand. Each player takes one card from the deck or discard pilewith each turn. The player discards one card to the discard pile andturns one card up.

FIG. 6 The end of the third turn results in three card turned up and oneremaining in hand.

FIG. 7 The end of the forth turn results in all cards turned up. Playerssum the point values of cards. Player with the lowest sum of all cards,wins the hand (skin).

FIG. 8 Card Values

FIG. 9 Par three dealt hand in Skins Course Play

FIG. 10 Skins Course Play, Par three dealt hand—after Players look attwo cards in their hand and the remaining card stays face down on table(blind card).

FIG. 11 Skins Course Play, Par five dealt hand

FIG. 12 Players look at two cards in their hand and the other threecards remain face down on table (blind cards).

FIG. 13 Picture of “SKINS” Board

FIG. 14 This is an example of a trade mark representing “SKINS” product.Any use of the word “Skins” or the word “Cards” overlaid “Skins” willrepresent this trademark, patent and method of play of the “Skins” cardgame.

Skins Board Use:

Referring to FIG. 13, the board that is used in “Skins” golf card gameis for tracking the skins or hands won by each individual player, pushesand holes played. There are rows of pegging holes, that are comprised ofthe tee box or starting point for playing the game of skins and 9 holesused to track the skins each player wins. There is a row of 6 holes totrack pushes. Each person upon winning a hand of skins is moved one holeforward in their row to track the skins that have been won by eachindividual. At the completion of nine holes the skins are tallied andthe differences are paid if using a value placed on each skin. The Skinsboard has six rows of 10 holes, a push row of six holes and nine holesto track what hole is being played. The tracking peg is a standard teeas used in golf or any other movable peg or marker to track the winninghands or skins. The game specific to Skins play will have rows of 10holes, a starting point hole or tee box and nine tracking holes, with asmany rows as there are players. The maximum number of players is limitedto six per deck of cards. Additional decks can be added to increase thenumber of players per game. Any device comprised to track skins, points,holes played or any other designation of winning hands in the game herereferred to as Skins can be used in the game of Skins, Skins Cards,Skins Game or any named game using the same or similar method of play asoutlined in the patent application. A skin can be valued at anyparticular level, whether it is just for the fun of having the mostskins or a designated value (i.e. $0.25 per skin, $1.00 or any value pereach skin) for the standard skins game. The board is used in the regularplay for “Skins” with a set value per skin or hand won.

The board is not used generally in the gambling format of skins play,which is played for the value of the pot of each hand. The board can beused to keep track of skins (pot) that have been pushed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—SKINS—GOLF CARD GAME Skins—Golf Card Game

The game is played with a standard 52 card deck, (Aces-Kings). Theobject of the game is to get the lowest score each hand played. FIG. 8,Cards are counted as face value, Aces are one point, and Queens are tenpoints, except the wild cards. Wild cards are Kings, Jacks and Fives.Kings and Jacks are counted as zero points and Fives are counted asnegative five points. Pairs of any non-wild card are also counted aszero as each card cancels the other out. Each five retains its negativefive point value regardless of the number of Fives in the hand. There Isa maximum of six players per deck of cards. Additional decks can beadded to increase the number of players in each game. The deal is firstdetermined by a cut of the cards, with the high card, Kings are high,starting the deal. The deal is distributed on a rotation moving clockwise to each player in order. FIG. 1, Four cards are dealt to eachplayer. FIG. 2, each player is allowed to look at two cards dealt tothem of the four, holding them in their hand, and two cards are keptface down (blind cards) unknown to the player. FIG. 3, when four cardshave been dealt to each player the deck is placed face down on the tableand the top card is turned up to start a discard pile. The first playeron the dealers left starts the game, having the choice of taking thecard turned up on top of the discard pile or taking a card from the topof the deck. The player has the choice of keeping the card or discardingthe card. FIG. 4, the player must discard any one card in their hand tothe discard pile which can be a blind card or card in hand. The playerthen turns one card face up (laying a card face up on playing surface infront of the player). Once a card has been turned face up it cannot beswapped with another card at any time during the hand or used todiscard. If the choice is to use a blind card as a card turned face up,a card must be discarded first and the blind card must be turned faceup. In playing a blind card, if a card in hand is not discarded first,the blind card must be put in the discard pile if looked at.

Each player in turn takes a card from the top of the deck or discardpile. FIG. 4-7, the player discards one card and turns one card face upin their hand. This proceeds in rotation sequence until all four cardshave been turned face up in each player's hand. The cards point valuesare summed and the player with the lowest score wins a skin. If there isa tie between the lowest scores, the skin is pushed (value of previoushand is retained to be played for on the next hand together with theskin for the current hand) to the next hand, which makes the next handworth two skins. The game proceeds through nine holes. If there is apush on the last hole in the game, another hand is played until the lasthole of the games skins have been won.

If any player looks at more than two cards in their hand on the deal orblind cards, this is considered out of bounds (OB) and the player isdisqualified for that hand from winning any skins or participating inplay. If a player is OB or loses the hand for one skin and that skin ispushed, the player is eligible on the next hand to take the skin thatwas pushed.

Pairs Play in Skins: Pairs play in Skins is done by having a partnersitting opposite of you in the rotation of the game. Maximum of threepairs are capable in a one deck game. Additional decks can be used toincrease the number of pairs that can play with three pairs maximum perdeck. The pairs sum their individual scores to determine low hand andthe lowest summed pair wins the skin.

Gambling with skins: Gambling with Skins proceeds as detailed above ifplayed without a designated dealer. If skins are played with adesignated dealer, the dealer must track the honors position (theposition of the player having the first play of the hand) and distributethe deal in a clockwise manner to each player in order, starting withthe player with the honors position. There is an ante each player mustcontribute to establish a pot before first card is dealt in order toplay in each hand. When the first turn for all players is complete (eachplayer having one card turned up) the low hand showing (turned up cards)places the first bet. If there is a tie for the low showing hand, theplayer closest in rotation clockwise from the honors position places thebet first. The first card through the third card turned up proceeds inthis order with betting starting when all players have equal number ofcards showing. The player with the lowest showing hand always starts thebetting. Each player must match the bet or raise to remain in play forthat skin. This proceeds through each player until all players still inthe game have their fourth card turned up. The low hand takes the skin(pot). If there is a tie, the skin (pot) pushes and all players anted upat for that hand are eligible on the next hand (skin) to take the skin(pot) from the last hand and the hand that is being played. If there isa push, no other player may enter the game until all pushes have beenwon or cleared.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENT—“SKINS”—COURSE PLAY

Skins course play is a method of playing the “Skins” game using anyscore card from a golf course of your choice. The same method of play isused in drawing a card from the deck or discard pile, discarding onecard and turning one card up in players' hand. On initial deal eachplayer is allowed to look at two cards in their hand regardless ofnumber of cards dealt on a particular hole. The deal changes by dealingplayers the number of cards as the par for the hole being played. FIG.9-10, A par three would be dealt three cards, a par four would be dealtfour cards and a, FIG. 11-12, par five would be dealt five cards. Playwould continue through three rotations for a par three, four rotationsfor a par four and five rotations for a par five until all cards in allplayers hands have been turned face up. The standard rules for Skinsplay apply, with the lowest hand per hole winning the skin and ties forthe low points pushes to be played for during the next hole. A method ofplaying stroke play for the course is derived by using the followingchart.

Point tallies Scoring resolution +10-> Double Bogie/par + 2  +5-+9Bogie/par + 1  0-+4 Par/par + 0  −1-−5 Birdie/par − 1  −6-−10 Eagle/par− 2 −11-−15 Double eagle/par − 3 −20 Hole in one/score 1

DEFINITIONS

Skin—hand won outright by having the lowest summed score of all playerseach hole.

Honors—player starting the hand by having first choice of cards indiscard pile or deck top.

Out of Bounds (OB)—looking at more than two cards in your hand beforeplay begins, player forfeits that hand and pot for that hand. If a skinis pushed during a forfeited hand that player will be playing for bothskins on the next hand.

Blind Cards—cards unknown to player that are in their hand.

Pot—established ante all players contribute to before the play beginsand sum of all bets placed during any one hand.

Push—tie on any hand of the lowest tallied points of all players. Theskin or pot is held and played for during the next hand along with theskin or pot being played for as the current hand.

In Hand—All cards that have been dealt to or drawn by players that havenot been turned up. Cards viewed by players and not turned up or blindmust be held or represented as known by player.

Scoring: The card point values are as shown in FIG. 8 (suit of the cardis irrelevant):

Kings and Jacks equal zero points, Fives equal negative five, Pairs ofany non-wild card (Aces, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Queen)=0 points.Queens equal ten points and all other cards are face value. There is amaximum of six players per deck of cards.

1.) A card game for two to six players per deck of cards that simulatesa golf game called skins conspiring: A plurality of cards from astandard 52 card deck of playing cards, Aces are low through Kings beinghigh representing a predetermined point value for scoring; values equalthe face amount of each card with Queens equaling ten points, exceptKings, Jacks and pairs equal zero, Fives equal negative five points,wherein players are dealt four cards one at a time in rotation clockwisein sequence with all other players, remaining cards in the deck areplaced face down with the top card being turned over to establish adiscard pile, players look at two of the four cards in their hand,remaining two cards values are blind to the players, play begins withthe first player to the left of the dealer picking a card from thediscard pile or deck, player then discards one card in their hand,either a blind card or card in hand, to the discard pile and turns onecard up in their hand or blind, turning a blind card up in hand must bepreceded by a discard or the blind card must be discarded, playersattempt to lay the lowest valued cards or one of a pair of cards, eachplayer in turn repeats this process, with each turn taking a card fromdiscard or deck pile, discarding one card in hand or blind to thediscard pile, then turning up one card in players hand or blind,attempting to produce the lowest sum of four cards, wherein after fourturns of all players, four cards will be turned face up in each playershand which are summed and the lowest sum of all players wins the skinfor that hole, wherein the player moves their peg forward one peg holein the Skins board and moves the hole count forward one peg hole, exceptif two players tie with the same lowest score the skin is pushed to thenext hand, wherein that hand will be worth two skins, moving the holecount forward one peg hole and moving the push peg up to represent askin has pushed to the next hole, players play nine holes with theplayer winning the most skins of nine wins the game. 2.) A card game fortwo to six players per deck of cards that simulates a golf game calledskins conspiring: A plurality of cards from a standard 52 card deck ofplaying cards, Aces are low through Kings being high that represents apredetermined point value for scoring; values equal the face amount ofeach card with Queens equaling ten points, except Kings, Jacks and pairsequal zero, Fives equal negative five points, wherein players are dealtthe amount of cards as the par value per hole of a score card of nine oreighteen holes of golf, one at a time in rotation clockwise in sequencewith all other players, the remaining cards in the deck are placed facedown with the top card being turned over to establish a discard pile,each player looks at two of the cards dealt in their hand with theremaining cards blind, play begins with the first player to the left ofthe dealer choosing a card from the discard pile or deck, the playerthen discards one card in their hand, being either a blind card or cardin hand, to the discard pile and turns one card up in their hand, beingthe lowest card or one of a pair of cards, each player in turn repeatsthis process, with each turn taking a card from discard or deck pile,discarding one card in hand or blind to the discard pile, then turningone card face up in their hand whether its held or blind, attempting toproduce the lowest sum of the cards totaled, wherein after all cards areturned face up in each players hand they are summed and the lowest sumof all players wins the skin for that hole, wherein the player movestheir peg forward one peg hole in the Skins board and moves the holecount forward one peg hole, except if two players tie with the samelowest score the skin is pushed to the next hand (hole) wherein thathand will be worth two skins, moving the hole count forward one peg holeand moving the push peg up to represent a skin has pushed to the nexthole, players play nine or eighteen holes with the player winning themost skins wins the game, winning the stroke play is comprised oftabulating the score of each hole as determined by a stroke conversionchart indicating a score of zero to four points summed is par, five tonine pts is bogie, ten points or more is double bogie, negative five tonegative one is birdie, negative six to negative 10 is eagle, negativefifteen to negative eleven is double eagle, twenty under is hole in one,summing the charted scores on a score card as used in golf with thelowest sum of nine of eighteen holes wins. 3.) A method of scoring theSkins card game of claim 1 using a device as in FIG. 13 to track numberof holes (hands) played, hands won by each player and pushes when thereis a tie between low score, whereas each player chooses a marker torepresent themselves whereupon winning a hand the player will move theiridentified marker forward of the tee box (starting point) one unit foreach hand won, accumulating a total of the number of hands won duringthe game by each player, upon moving the marker for hands won the playermoves forward the marker in the holes row indicating the number of thehole being played, labeled holes, it contains a row of nine holes, soupon completion of the ninth hole the game is complete unless a push(tie) of the last hand has occurred, which will result in the playersmoving forward one unit of the push marker indicating the next hand willbe worth the number of push units marked, plus one for the hand beingplayed, so that when a player wins the next hand they accumulate thetotal of pushes plus one for the hand being played and mark them withtheir chosen marker on the Skins board, resetting the pushes to zero andmoving forward the holes marker unless nine holes have been completed.